This Is Our Family

Part 5

KJ brought Kai home. They had been home for a few hours before Carina walked in the door after work.

"Ciao, bambini! I'm home," Carina yelled up the stairs.

KJ ran down the stairs to say hi to her Mama.

"Ciao, Mama. How was work? Any fun cases today?" KJ said while she hugged her Mama.

Carina smiled at her daughter and kissed her on the forehead.

"Nothing too crazy today, bambina. Just a couple of scheduled c-sections. How was school?" Carina responded.

KJ started scrolling through her phone as she talked to her Mama.

"Boring as usual. I went on a run at the station after school," KJ said still scrolling through her social media.

Carina saw that her daughter had her phone out and was scrolling through her social media. Carina walked over to KJ and grabbed her phone out of her hands.

KJ gasped and looked at Carina surprised.

"What the heck, Mama?" KJ complained.

Carina raised her eyebrow at KJ.

"Karter, I told you this morning when I gave it to you that it was to come back to your mama and me after school. You're still grounded, bambina," Carina said sternly.

Karter stood up from the barstool and began to pout.

"Fineeee. I'm going to go back upstairs. I have homework to do," KJ sighed.

-

About thirty minutes after Carina came home from work, Maya walked in the door after finishing her shift. Maya walked into the kitchen where Carina was preparing dinner.

"Hi babe. It smells good in here. How was your day?" Maya asked her wife.

Carina turned around to give her wife a kiss.

"It was good, bambina! How was yours? Anything exciting happen today?" Carina asked in return.

Maya gave her wife a look and Carina immediately recognized the look. It was the look Maya got when she knew something that Carina didn't.

Maya asked her wife, "Has Kai talked to you yet?"

"No? I haven't seen him yet. I figured he was in his room either working on homework or playing video games," Carina asked confused. "Why? What happened?"

Maya walked over to the stairs.

"Kai! Come downstairs please!" Maya yelled up to Kai.

Kai sauntered out of his room and down the stairs.

Maya looked at her son as he walked down the stairs.

"Is there something you need to tell your Mama?" Maya asked her son sternly.

Kai looked down at the ground as he rocked back and forth from heel to toe.

"Ummm. Can you tell her?" Kai looked at his mom and asked.

Maya wrapped her arm around his shoulders and kissed the top of his head.

"You gotta do this one yourself, buddy," she replied still giving her son a side hug.

Carina had her arms folded against her chest as she stared over at Kai.

"Bambino, what is going on?" she questioned Kai sternly.

Kai looked up at Maya. She gave him a nod of reassurance and nodded over to Carina, encouraging him to tell her.

"I got into a fight at school and got suspended for the rest of the week," Kai told her quickly.

Carina's eyes got wide, and her cheeks became red.

"WHAT!" she yelled. "Oh, mio Dio! Kai Mason, what were you thinking! You know violence is never the answer! School is almost out for the summer! You couldn't stay out of trouble for a few more weeks! What the hell are we supposed to do with you while you are suspended!" Carina yelled as she paced back and forth throwing her hands around all over the place.

Maya scrunched her face up knowing that this was going to be the result. Kai was still looking down at the floor knowing that he was in big trouble.

"Okay, baby. Let's take a breath," Maya let out after not realizing she was holding her breath. "Kai said the boy he fought with was making fun of him for having two moms..."

Carina interrupted Maya and began to speak in Italian.

Maya continued, "...which I know still doesn't make it right! But Kai is very aware that what happened was not okay, and he has promised that it will never happen again. Isn't that right, Kai?" Maya said looking at Kai.

"It won't happen every again moms. I promise," Kai said quietly as he looked up at his Mama.

Carina looked Kai in the eyes.

"It better not ever happen again, Kai Mason. I don't care what happens. You don't get physical with anybody unless you are protecting yourself! Go upstairs and get all your electronics and bring them down to me. You have lost them for two weeks," Kai's Mama said very strictly.

Kai rocked back on his heels again and turned around to go upstairs to his electronics to bring back down to his Mama.

Maya looked at Carina with a soft look on her face.

"Carina. Let's calm down. He can come to the station and sit in my office and do his homework for the rest of the week. Karter can come and pick him up after she gets done with school to bring him home," Maya tried reassuring her wife.

Carina was still pacing back and forth through the kitchen.

"What was he even thinking. He knows that he is never supposed to resort to getting physical with anybody. What are our children thinking lately!" Carina asked panicking.

Maya grabbed her wife's hands and looked into her eyes, again, trying to reassure her.

"Babe. Our kids are wonderful. Kai is going to be fine. Karter is a teenager who is trying to find her way in the world. We have raised smart, beautiful, and kind children – thanks to you, love. I agree Kai needs to lose his electronics. I also understand how frustrating it is for Kai to be made fun of because his family is a little different. We have done a good job. You have done a good job. They're kids. They're allowed to mess up sometimes. Our job as parents is to teach them how to handle situations like these the right way. I don't think yelling in a panic is helping the situation," Maya said to her wife very gently as to now frustrate the Italian woman more than she already was.

Carina looked at her wife with a pouty look on her face.

Carina admitted, "You're right. I'm sorry. I was just so frustrated. He just knows better than to start a fight. I love them both so much and it hurts to see them get into trouble."

Just as Carina finished her sentence to Maya, she saw Kai walking down the stairs with his PlayStation, Switch, and phone. He set his gadgets down on the kitchen table.

"That's everything, Mama," Kai said sadly.

Carina walked over to her son and wrapped him in a big hug and kissed him on the top of his head.

"Thank you, bambino. I am sorry that I yelled so much. Your mom and I just expect so much more from you, and we know you are so much better than starting fights with other kids. You're an incredible young man and you are so kind, and we just want you to be the best you can be," Carina told her son while keeping him tight in a hug.

"I'm sorry, Mama. I just wanted to protect our family. I love our family and there is nothing wrong with it. I'm sorry I started a fight," Kai apologized to his Mama.

Carina kissed him on the top of the head again and squeezed him so tightly.

"I love you so much, bambino. Thank you for apologizing. Why don't you go upstairs and wash up for dinner. Yeah?" Carina said as she nudged Kai in the direction of the stairs.

Kai walked towards the stairs as Maya ruffled his hair as he walked by. Maya leaned over to grab him in a hug.

Maya whispered in his ear, "I'm proud of you, Kai Mason. I love you."

With that, Kai ran up the stairs and started to get washed up for dinner.